In Focus

Strand Ephemera

Strand Ephemera 2013 has been and gone, but the 10 day outdoor arts festival has left an indelible mark. Over 60,000 participants embraced the event with unprecedented enthusiasm; taking part in the Photographic Competition, voting in the Wilson/ Ryan/Grose Lawyers People’s Choice Award, joining in tours and workshops, and of course admiring the 33 artworks on display.

In 2013, the exhibition had an increased focus on the appearance of works after dark as well as night programs, while also cross-promoting a series of Fringe Events at external arts and cultural venues for the first time. The exhibition offered a major $10,000 Award for Artistic Excellence, which was judged by Professor Donna Marcus, a prominent artist working in the public field and also a Senior Lecturer at Griffith University.

Strand Ephemera also incorporates professional development opportunities for participating and local artists. A feature of this program is the Public Art Symposium, organised in collaboration with the School of Creative Arts and presented at James Cook University.

The Symposium took place on the exhibition’s final day and featured three speakers from Australia and New Zealand who explored a spectrum of ideas and shared personal experiences. This year’s speakers included Professor Steffen Lehmann, Richard Brecknock, and Professor Michael Parekowhai.

To assist visitors in navigating the exhibition and also to gain further insight into the works, as well as plan events they wished to attend, a number of support materials were made available.

These included a folded Public Program, a free Children’s Activity Booklet, and a 66 page exhibition catalogue; all materials were printed by the event’s Print Sponsor Lotsa Printing.

The range of artists, artworks, and opportunities for visitor engagement, ensured the exhibition was of interest to local, state and national media outlets. This was greatly assisted by the support of the event’s Media Sponsors Townsville Bulletin, 4TOfm, and WIN network.

Central to the event’s success was the vast array of Public and Education Programs, with Gallery Services engaging over 2000 students alone to participate in Strand Ephemera 2013

The involvement of local schools and students is a major focus of every Strand Ephemera. Gallery Services offers all schools within the region the possibility to be involved in workshops and guided tours, and provides an activity booklet that responds to works in the exhibition and links with current syllabus.

The total program attendance by students was 2 188. This figure represents official involvement by schools who applied to be a part of the public program only, and doesn’t capture the schools and students who visited the exhibition without informing the Gallery of their visit.

During Strand Ephemera a number of artist talks occurred both on site at The Strand and at schools around Townsville.

Gabi Sturman, one of the participating artists, delivered an artist talk and clay workshop for Townsville Grammar School students while Erica Gray visited senior students at Ryan Catholic College and talked about how her fashion design background influences her art practice.

Selected student groups from Holy Spirit and St Joeseph’s, The Strand were provided artist talks by MJ Ryan Bennett, Gabi Sturmann, Julie Bentley, Elizabeth Tillack and Jo Anglesey during their tours of Strand Ephemera. A total of 358 students received artist talks during Strand Ephemera.

Fringe events such as Umbrella Studio’s Light on the Fringe, Gallery 48’s Ephemera as Possible, the Bohemian Masquerade Ball, Pink Piano performances, PechaKucha Night Townsville V.4 and ABC Open Video Bomb, which coincided with Strand Ephemera, were supported by Gallery Services with inclusion in Strand Ephemera publications and cross-promotion throughout the festival.

These events complemented Strand Ephemera’s program, built on public engagement and further developed mutually-supportive arts relationships within the Townsville region.

While all 33 works sparked the imagination of the visiting public, there could be only one winner of the major $10,000 Award for Artistic Excellence.

Judged by Dr Donna Marcus, a prominent artist working in the public field and also a Senior Lecturer at Griffith University, the award went to Port Douglas artist Rainer H. Schlüter.

His monumental driftwood forms, entitled Blue Dancers (Danseuses Bleues) - Quintet took their inspiration “from two famous works; Matisse’s Danseuses Bleues and Giacometti’s Walking Man,” the artist stated.

The beachwood forms, representing abstract dancers, were carved and assembled from fallen beach trees, and then painted in acrylic ultramarine blue.

The exhibition’s guest judge, Dr Donna Marcus, said the winning work was “an elegant and well executed piece with many references that allow viewers to engage on numerous levels. Schlüter’s work is both poignant and playful, and a deserving winner.”

The contribution of volunteers to the running of a major public art event such as Strand Ephemera cannot be understated - without their input, the event simply would not be able to be staged.

Volunteers for this year’s event were drawn from James Cook University’s Reflective Practitioner class, the Gallery’s exisiting volunteers, the broader public who expressed interest in the event, as well as the participating artists and their supporters.

Strand Ephemera utilised 116 volunteers, who completed 334 shifts totalling 1645 hours of service across all areas of the exhibition, namely:

+ Visitor Experience and Administration

+ Data Gathering

+ Documentation and Design

+ Public Programs

+ Exhibition Installation, Maintenance and Demount

93 shifts totalling over 470 hours were required to ensure the safe, secure and attractive installation and demount of the exhibition alone.

In this area, volunteers supported staff and artists to pass, lift, and position artworks, dig holes, collect artworks from storage facilities, mark installation locations, assemble works, utilise hand tools and ladders, prepare and tidy work areas, and liaise with Gallery and council staff as well as participating artists.

Volunteers also ensured more data was collected during this Strand Ephemera than ever before which will assist greatly in its future growth, while of course providing a friendly point of contact for information throughout the exhibition and public programs.

Gallery Services and Townsville City Council extends its immense thanks to all 116 volunteers for their invaluable contribution to a hugely successful community event.

Paul Freeman’s entry in the Strand Ephemera 2013

Photographic Competition of Ian Loiterton’s artwork

The End Game

Image title: The End Game - Breaking Dawn

Photographer: Paul Freeman